Contract Violations
by tree leaves
Summary: She was tired of living the same lie for the last year and a half, and he was waiting to catch her violating certain house rules. One shot, has potential to be more.


**A/N: **This was really unexpected for me, I didn't think I would be doing any stories for Kuro, but here I am haha. This one just came really easily for me and I finished in two days (whereas others take me weeks/months... years?...)

I realize that Sebby's eyes are red but I changed them for the sake of my story and also before I get people asking if Maylene/Meyrin has a demon contract, she doesn't (at least not really/yet), Sebastian was just an ass and made her agree to do a number of things...

I also find myself asking the question 'why do I always ship characters that aren't canon pairs/just not really meant to be together?' But for those of you who are like me in that you ship odd couples, I hope you enjoy this. It has the potential to be a full blown story, but for the moment its just going to a one shot.

Enjoy :3

* * *

Contract Violations

She sighed taking her glasses off and wiped the smudges with her apron, ignoring the man that was sending her disapproving looks as she walked away. She had messed up again which wasn't the biggest surprise, but the guilt and shame that followed burned hot in her chest and she wished for the thousandth time that she could stop pretending and just act normally for a few hours.

_If only_, she thought, replacing her glasses back on her face and turning down the narrow corridor that would lead her down to the kitchen. Bard would be waiting with the young master's meal which she should have taken to him ten minutes ago. And she was sure she was going to get a scolding, if not from her master she was sure that the devilish head butler would. She closed her eyes resigned at the thought of having become this incompetent young woman and paused before opening the kitchen door to gather her thoughts.

The young maid slapped a sheepish smile on her face as she opened the door, an apologetic look in her dark eyes but that was erased moments later when she found the head chef of the house battling flames coming from the oven. She gave a slight gasp as she rushed over to the sink grabbing towels and getting them wet before running to the oven and stamping out whatever had been burning.

She took a step back, wiping her forehead and turned shocked and slightly worried eyes on the tall blonde who stood next to her. He had smears of ash on his face and his white uniform was singed in places, but there was an impish gleam in his eyes as if he was enjoying himself.

"Bard!" She said exhaling, a small smile lifting the corners of her lips. She stepped forward with one of the towels she hadn't used and wiped at his face. "You're filthy, what were you making this time?" She said and laughed.

He cracked a large smile and grabbed the towel out of her hands and proceeded to whack her playfully with it. "Oh, you know," he said casually,waving it off, "What was it that you needed?" he continued but she could see his bright blue eyes deaden with realization. "God, I'm sorry Maylene, now we both are gonna get yelled at."

Maylene smiled and rested a hand on his arm deciding something that was sure to get her in trouble, not necessarily with the young master, but indeed with the devilish butler, Mr. Sebastian. "It's alright, besides I think I can whip something up," She said and started rolling up her sleeves. "Why don't you go tell Ciel that his lunch will be ready in ten minutes in his office?"

Bard quirked an eyebrow, a questioning look on his face, but nodded anyway and went to leave the kitchen. The red head gave a long sigh as she turned around and grabbed a large pot to put on the stove. She searched through the pantry for a moment, finding the ingredients she wanted and walked back to the island in the main kitchen, taking one of the large knives that looked clean.

This was one time where she was going to go back on her word that she had made that night a year ago when she had signed her life away to the Phantomhive Manor. Day after day it was the same routine and she was becoming very tired of playing the same act.

Almost unconsciously the red haired maid moved around the kitchen with ease as she prepared the simple meal of soup and sandwiches with tea and fruit on the side. She grabbed a few stalks of celery, deftly copping them with fast practiced movements and threw them into the kettle but paused, snapping herself from her thoughts as she caught movement from the corner of her eye.

Maylene stopped and turned a feeling of dread washing over as she found the very man she didn't want to see staring at her with an unreadable gaze and a small smirk on his long handsome face. The maid slowly let her eyes drift to meet with his, pitch on dull red brown and she couldn't help the slight shiver that ran its way down her spine.

"Mr. Se-Sebastian," she said, forcing the stutter and surprise into her voice. She let the long knife in her hand clatter to the floor as she backed up into the counter, a shocked look on her face. The maid couldn't be sure but the slight twitch of his thin lips made her think he was laughing at her.

"It's good to see someone actually doing a job with such skill around here for a change," he said casually as he peeled away from the wall that he had been leaning on and walked further into the bright kitchen.

The maid looked away and gave a nod starting to feel a little awkward. Mechanically she started arranging things on the silver tray to be taken up but a gloved hand made her pause as it grabbed her wrist.

"I really thought you were starting to become clumsy," he said lowly as his other hand lifted her face up to meet his.

Maylene blushed a little but let her face fall into something more serious, finally dropping the act. "Not a chance," she whispered, her eyes boring into his. She had always thought that his were a dark brown but now she could really see that they were completely black. It made her curious.

"Ah there's that spark from that first night I found you," He said with a smile, his face inching closer to hers. He stopped when their noses were almost touching, and Maylene could feel the slight heat that was radiating off his body. "You, my dear, are breaking your contract."

The caused the young maid to jerk in his grasp.

"Which one?" She couldn't help but hiss. "The one I stupidly forged with you, or the one I had signed for my dear master Ceil?"

He stayed silent for a moment and Maylene ripped her face from his grasp, spinning around on her heel refusing to look at him.

"I'm sick of pretending to be a fool, in front of the guests, in front of Mr. Tanaka, Ciel…"_ you, _she thought but didn't dare say. "You have made me a burden in this house."

There was a silence that settled between the two before Sebastian spoke, his words chosen carefully.

"I cannot have people knowing who you really are, what you can do," Sebastian said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "You are a performer by nature, an assassin. You are playing the part of a clumsy maid and that's how I expect you to behave. Especially in front of the staff of this house," he said, whispering the last part in her ear and Maylene turned finding herself face to face with the butler.

She let out a little gasp but stood her ground. "At least," she said and paused trying to gather her thoughts, "allow me to drop it when I'm not here, or when I'm with you," she finished, her voice dropping low as she stared him in the eye.

He smiled at her again, his eyes unreadable as he leaned in. "I'll consider it," he murmured.

And then she could hear faint footsteps coming down the hall and knew that this conversation was over. She felt cool air flood the front side of her body as Sebastian turned walking away from her silently.

"Remember," was all the butler said before walking back through the second entrance of the kitchen, the door swinging shut without a sound.

Bard walked through the open doors and smiled as he found the red headed maid standing in the kitchen with the tray. "Well, master didn't totally berate you, I said it was all my fault so you're off the hook for now," he said with a smile and leaned against the island.

"T-thanks for that," Maylene said and pushed her glasses further up her nose.

"This smells amazing too," the blonde said as he walked over to the stove to stir what was left of the soup in the large kettle. "I'm surprised you know how to cook."

The maid blushed and grabbed the tray off the counter, feeling flustered. "I-I should take this to the young master," she said and hurried out of the kitchen.

She could hear Bard yelling at her to be careful and she couldn't help but grimace. If only he knew. She quickly climbed the servant stairs to the next floor and walked briskly down the hallway, not bothering to stick with her clumsy ways. The black haired butler wasn't around, and as far as she could tell, no one was watching.

She stopped outside Ciel's study and took a moment to compose herself before knocking. She could faintly hear the boy say to come in and she sighed before opening the door and stumbling into the large room.

"Ah Maylene, thank you for brining my lunch," Ceil said as he sat forward in the large leather chair. "Just leave it on the corner."

"Yes, sir," she said quietly as she sat the tray down and curtsied. She turned to leave then and tripped, her face turning bright red as she heard Ceil sigh. "I'm s-sorry sir, I hope you enjoy your meal," she said as she reached the door and quickly shut it, leaving him.

Maylene leaned against the closed door, thinking over her encounter with Sebastian from earlier and how infuriating it was to keep this charade going for so long. She felt her face getting hot when she remembered how close the butler had gotten but she quickly dismissed the thought.

She didn't know how much longer she'd last.

…

The rest of the day passed quickly enough for the young maid as she went about the rest of her business, managing to do a few good things here and there through the muck she had started, especially after dropping some dishes.

But it wasn't until night had fallen that things started to get interesting. She was blowing out the last of the candles in the servants' parlor being the last to leave for bed as she heard movement from outside. Maylene walked towards one of the small windows and carefully peered out into the darkness of the grounds.

Slowly she took off her glasses and everything jumped into focus as she looked around, catching movement from the forested parts surrounding the lawn. She pursed her lips as she looked out and turned to go alert the others but stopped as another chill ran down her spine.

"So perceptive, you've already noticed our uninvited guests," Sebastian said, his voice like silk as he walk further into the darkened room. He was still dressed in his uniform, and it made him look even more intimidating than in the daylight.

She ignored his almost compliment and looked back out the window. "How many are there?"

"About ten, but I'm sure you can handle them. I do not think there is a need to wake the other two," he said casually as he moved in beside her at the window, referring to Bard and Finny.

The maid shook her head and turned to leave, "I'm going to get them anyway. I wouldn't want them to miss out."

She could hear the older butler chuckling quietly to himself as she left the room, already running down the hallway to grab her two boys.

"Show time," she said and smiled, reaching for the pistol in the holster that was strapped to her thigh. Things were going to be fun, at least for tonight.


End file.
